On 4 Nov 2012, an ILRI delegation of 28 visited the village of Araipura, in the Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana, where they held discussions with dairy farm families. The ILRI management team and board of trustees also visited the National Dairy Research Institute. (Photo credit: ILRI)

‘Operation Flood in Gujarat is a lesson on how to connect the small farmers with the market, a top official from global research body International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) said Wednesday.

Operation Flood in Gujarat is one of the lessons we have learnt from India. The country can teach the world how to connect the small farmers with the market so that they can increase their incomes and quality of life,” ILRI Director General Jimmy Smith told reporters here.

‘The demand for livestock products is rising rapidly in India as well as globally and the country has the potential to rise up to meet this challenge, he added.

‘Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Deputy Director General (Animal Science) K M L Pathak said India can seek ILRI’s help in developing its capacity to treat Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR).

‘PPR, also known as goat plague, is a highly contagious viral disease affecting goats and sheep in Africa, Middle-East and the Indian subcontinent.’

Renowned agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan, father of India’s Green Revolution, inaugurated an all-day ILRI-ICAR Partnership Dialogue in New Delhi yesterday (7 Nov 2012), where these remarks were made. Swaminathan said that said that conservation of biodiversity and genetic resources in livestock is the foremost issue which needs to be addressed in view of the continuous threats and went on to recommend:

Development of an integrated crop livestock farming system and adoption of naturally bio-fortified foods for enhancing nutritional status of the Indian population. . . .’